30th September, 2015

Wendy, our brilliant and ever-adventurous founder, recently walked the entire length of the Dales Way. When she returned from the trip, she was positively bouncing off the walls about it. So naturally we needed to write a blog post about it, and share Wendy's pearls of wisdom for anyone thinking of doing a walking holiday along the Dales Way. If you'd like some help planning a trip there, please do get in touch with us.

Here are Wendy's top picks from walking along the Dales Way:

  • The unspoilt gorgeous countryside, with sheep-clad hills and the occasional lonely farmhouse dotted here and there. There's barely a modern development along the whole length of the 81 mile walk, from Ilkley all the way to Windermere in the Lake District.

  • Mile upon mile of beautifully maintained stone walls defining fields, ownership boundaries and the big views; sometimes serving other uses too... we'll leave you to discover those for yourself(!)

  • The village of Dent, a picturesque cobbled village known for its mad knitters in times past and home to current day craftsmen too. Visit the shop on the green, 'Sofie’s Wild Woollens'. Here you can buy garments with hand-felted buttons

  • The tea shops! Of course we love tea here at The Carter Company, so it would be amiss of us not to mention these. Standouts were Betty's in Ilkley, the Three Hares in Sedbergh and The Artisan Bakery in the Mill Yard in Staveley, with its award winning Treacle Bread. Delicious.

  • Characterful pubs with great atmosphere and food. Favourites were The Dalesman Inn in Sedbergh; the Craven Arms in Appletreewick, which is still lit by gas lamps with divine views across the Wharf valley; and the Red Lion in Burnsall, adjacent to the stunning river bridge there.

If all this has whet your appetite, head over to our Facebook page to check out the full album of photos. Toodle pip!